What is the team’s draft strategy?
Last season, the draft strategy was easy. The Sabres held the first overall pick and they used it to select the best player on the board, defenseman Owen Power. While we would love for the Sabres to win the lottery again and select someone like the OHL’s Shane Wright, let’s be realistic and suppose they pick somewhere between eighth and tenth.
Ideally, the team would target a goaltender early, but this draft class is far more skater-friendly. So the odds of Adams selecting someone in the net are slim to none. Instead, look for the Sabres to draft a forward, perhaps someone like the WHL’s Matthew Savoie.
While the Sabres have at least two forwards raring to move up into the NHL ranks (Jack Quinn, anyone?), their scoring situation is still inconsistent. Plus, the Sabres appear to be set at defenseman given their overall youth at the position.
So in this draft, expect them to try and wade through the murky waters to snag a much-needed forward. Savoie is currently their best bet. Listed as a center, the undersized yet agile forward can also bump out to winger. And like Owen Power, he has good odds of at least making a cameo in Year One.
(Statistics courtesy of Hockey-Reference)